Complaint Review: United Bank Card Merchant One - Miami Beach Florida

REVIEW UPDATE: April 16, 2015: Harbortouch remains committed to increased customer satisfaction and has improved their business practices over the years to better serve their customers. Harbortouch is truly dedicated to making sure their customers are satisfied and that any complaints which do arise are addressed promptly and fairly.

To date, Harbortouch has made good faith efforts to resolve all complaints reported on Ripoff Report. Based on our experience, the member business has proven to be among the top members of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program as a Verified Safe Business™.

Over time and since becoming a member, Harbortouch has remained actively engaged and improving the way they address customer service complaints. As an active and current member of the Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program we are happy to report that now more than ever Harbortouch remains committed to improving customer satisfaction.

Remember, no company or individual can ever satisfy 100% of the people 100% of the time. There are no products or services that will always be perfect for everyone and even the best companies will receive complaints from time to time. However, by participating in the Corporate Advocacy Program, the member business has made a commitment to working with its customers to resolve complaints quickly and fairly whenever possible.

Please keep in mind that as a consumer you have some responsibilities as well. Success has many definitions that based on your past experiences, current situation and your perceived expectations. Success with any product or service is always based on the proper application and understanding. The fastest car will not run if you never turn the engine on. Look at how you used the product or service that was provided in relation with the instructions that you received. The Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program will help you get your voice heard but please be prepared with documentation and fair representation of your concern, also have an idea of how the company can fix your concern. Can they offer additional services, extend warranties, offer a fair refund or just get you talking with someone that can help. ..let them know and let us know!

*Any consumer not receiving satisfaction from a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program should email us at [email protected]

Ripoff Report Verified™ .. part of Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business..

Ripoff Report Verified™ REVIEW:

EDitor’s UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to Harbortouch for its commitment to excellence in customer service.

Ripoff Report’s discussions with Harbortouch formally United BankCard have uncovered an ongoing commitment by the company to total client satisfaction. This means that clients can expect that the company will work towards finding a mutually satisfactory resolution to any complaints or concerns. Harbortouch listens carefully to client concerns and sees them as an opportunity to learn from past mistakes and become more efficient as a company in the services offered and the support for those services.

Harbortouch offers a full range of merchant services, supplying POS systems, electronic cash registers and credit card processing terminals as part of its unparalleled free* equipment program.

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As one of the largest and most reputable payment processors in the United States, Harbortouch currently handles the merchant accounts for over 110,000 business locations and processes in excess of $9 billion annually, with those numbers continually increasing.

Consistently recognized as a leader in innovation, Harbortouch is a five-time Inc. 500/5000 honoree (2005-2009) and was listed on Deloitte's 2008 "Technology Fast 50" list. Additionally, Harbortouch was named a Gold winner by the 2012 Golden Bridge Awards, a Silver Winner by the 2012 Best in Biz Awards and a Bronze winner by the 2012 American Business Awards.

United Bank Card changed its name to market new products and services but kept its focus on customer service, leaving no customer behind

United Bank Card was founded in 1999 as a traditional credit card processing company. In 2007, the company entered the point-of-sale system market with the launch of their full-featured, touch-screen Harbortouch POS system. In 2011, Harbortouch began offering this high-quality POS system with no up-front costs as part of its revolutionary “free” equipment program. The company saw tremendous demand for the Harbortouch POS system and it became increasingly central to their operations. The Harbortouch POS system quickly became the company’s flagship product offering. At the beginning of 2012, United Bank Card officially changed its name to Harbortouch to reflect the company’s focus on their POS systems. The name change also highlighted their transition to a more technology-oriented, forward-thinking company. Although the company changed its name, Harbortouch still maintained the same management, employees and focus on customer service. Harbortouch continues to put their customers first, realizing that exceptional customer service is just as important as competitive pricing and innovative products.

“ The only kind of business that will make the kind of commitment that HarborTouch has, .. is the kind of business consumers can definitely trust. If there were more businesses that had the same thinking as HarborTouch, just imagine, there would not be as much of a demand for consumers to use Ripoff Report” – ED Magedson – Founder, Ripoff Report

The information provided in this report is based on comments made by CEO Jared Isaacman during an onsite inspection held by a third party verification company with no biases toward Harbortouch United Bank Card.



Ripoff Report Verified™ .. part of Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program.A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business..

Harbortouch was started as United Bank card in 1999 as a basic credit card processing service. They are aiming to move to a full service model, touch screen point of sales system at a low service cost to small or midsize business. The vision is to expand to the mobile device for on the go payment.

Their main sources of sales are geared towards small to midsize merchants. Their main sales are done by independent contractors or sales representatives under Harbortouch. These contractors have certain requirements that they must abide by in regards to credit card regulations. They represent Harbortouch and their products and services assist with the completion of paperwork, but Harbortouch does all of the underwriting and approval of applicants. From that point Harbortouch provides all of the services to the merchant. The independent contractor functions as the onsite representative between the company and merchant.

During the onsite interview CEO Jared Isaacman was asked to discuss what types of complaints their company receives and what is being done to resolve these issues: “The most common complaint that has occurred has to do with not having strict control over the independent contractors because they are not direct employees over the company. There is a wildcard factor with sales being made by the independent sales staff due to different variations of compliance with regulation and quality of service. Going from the credit card terminal to the point of sales, which is basically a computer system, is more complex. Merchants have an expectation of the program working a certain way or having different functions and sometimes a merchant will feel like the independent contractor oversold the program.”

”Mr. Isaacman was then asked to describe a specific situation where a client was not satisfied with the level of service they received: “Once an order has been placed with Harbortouch they may have been oversold on the product or feel that there has been a miscommunication on the sale. Once the order has been received, the account gets assigned to an Order Administrator to walk the merchant through the process from then on. If any miscommunication or over sell on the product occurred, this is where it would be worked out. For the most part, Harbortouch will try to accommodate the merchant within reason. Once the order has been shipped, the company’s tech will install the POS system and the merchant must sign off on the installation.”

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The merchant has access to 24/7 tech support on site, weekly webinars, newsletters, ongoing training sessions, support material, additional training DVD’s, and independent contractor functions that serve as a resource for support to the merchant.

If there is an issue where a customer feels as though they have been misled or paid fees that they did not authorize, they are encouraged to contact Harbortouch’s customer service department, and if the fee was inaccurate, it will be refunded to the merchant. Their fees do increase twice a year, but this is fully outlined and explained in their contract agreement.

Since complaints were made on Ripoff Report their company has made direct changes to the way they handle independent sales. They hold their representatives accountable for how they present themselves and their program. They have started a certification program for sales representatives which insures that they are fully educated on the products that they will be selling and representing. This increases the quality of the sales representatives and instills professionalism. They are also working on refining their order administration process.

In a leadership role within the company, Mr. Isaacman has instituted many changes in various areas in order to make the customer happy. They have hired a quality control manager, started an in house newsletter, expanded the office to include onsite training for employees, and implemented ongoing reconstruction within departments to better service customers.

Harbortouch is pleased to be a part of Ripoff Reports Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program. They believe that taking part in this process reiterates their commitment to their customers and adds credibility to their services and business, while demonstrating their dedication to their customers.

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HARBORTECH / STATEMENT FROM THE THE FOUNDER AND CEO JARED ISAACMAN

”Harbortouch’s primary goal is to provide exceptional service and value to our customers. Our merchant customers are the lifeblood of the company and our success is completely dependent on their satisfaction. Every decision we make reflects the importance of this relationship and every action revolves around our customers. We strive to provide these customers with the best possible experience through cutting-edge technology and unparalleled levels of service."

Harbortouch has placed a strong focus on customer service and satisfaction. Harbortouch values each merchant it serves, realizing that exceptional customer service is just as important as competitive pricing and innovative products. The company’s award winning customer support is handled entirely in-house and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, completely free of charge to all of their merchants.

Harbortouch recognizes that complaints posted on Ripoff Report (whether true or not) are issues that need to be addressed, not ignored. If handled correctly, complaints can be valuable learning opportunities. With the feedback generated by Ripoff Report’s Investigation Harbortouch has made organizational changes allowing its clients and employees a more streamlined approach to problem resolution and a commitment to a great client experience.

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In summary, after our investigation, which included discussions with Mr. Isaacman and many of his past and current associates, Ripoff Report is convinced that Harbortouch is committed to quality delivery of products and services resulting in total client satisfaction.

Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with a member of Ripoff Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, it’s a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike.

Read about Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program, a program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. this program works.

As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Program they agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can ensure that the member business did right by their customer.

NOW TO THE ORIGINAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED

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United Bank Card, Merchant One Credit Card Processing Company will make unauthorized withdrawals from your bank!! Miami Beach Florida

We started a small company back in 2005, and since we were a new business we wanted to give our customers the option to use credit cards. So we chose Merchant One, dba United Bank Card, because of their low rates and no minimum, as well as their willingness to work with a new business.

We received their application and 2 pages of Terms and Conditions. The contract came from Merchant One, and says "V2.0" on the lower right hand corner. It stated that our monthly charge would be $5, and our monthly minimum was $0. We knew and UBC/Merchant One knew, that we would have very low volume of credit card transactions.

Around 18 months later, all of a sudden their statements show that they are taking $30 out of our bank account. Their explanation for this is that VISA and MC have raised their rates and so now we have to meet a certain minimum in order to not be charged that extra $25. Ok, well in that case it's not worth it for us, so we request to cancel over the phone. The UBC rep doesn't indicate that there is a problem with that, and asks us to cancel in writing, which we do.

About a week later we check the business account and find that it is overdrawn because UBC has taken out $735!! They NOW tell us that we have a 3-year contract and there is a cancellation fee.

Guess what? Not on the contract they sent us! To prove it we fax over the exact contract that we signed. They respond by sending us the *complete* contract with FOUR pages of Terms and Conditions. Problem is - this contract is from United Bank Card, says "V2.5", AND states that there is a $25 fee if we don't meet a certain minimum. This is NOT the contract we signed!!

However, we did notice a clause in their contract that gives us the right to cancel if there is a breach in contract on their part. By this time they have sent us to collections, and we were having no phone communication. Everything was sent by certified letter with receipt confirmation so we have a paper trail.

We let them know that they had broken their end of the contract by charging us $30 rather that $5, and by requiring a monthly minimum. So we legally had a right to cancel, and they had no right to send us to collections for this. I guess the certified letters scared them, as we received a reply from Liad Chazzan Mannino reinstating our account until it expired in April 2008.

We notified them in writing (certified letter) in April 2008 that we were canceling our contract - otherwise the contract would automatically renew itself. A few months later they start taking $5 out of our bank account again every month! Also - get this - assigned us a NEW merchant number. We call them and they claim they will refund the money and stop the withdrawals... but the withdrawals never stopped although they refunded the money. It led us to finally close that bank account to keep their greedy fingers out of our money.

BEWARE OF THIS CC PROCESSING COMPANY!

By the way... you can forget about the rebuttal. I am not posting our merchant number on a public forum. Our contract is canceled. Our bank account is closed. We are just trying to warn other small business to avoid all this hassle.

We will file with the BBB, FTC and anybody else who can take measures to take these crooks out of business.

Ana
Athens, Georgia
U.S.A.